Checked in
by alchemichelper101
Summary: Catherine Ederson checks in to a hotel with a plan in mind. AlxOC. Rated M for future chapters.


A/N: This 3-chapter mini series have been in my drafts for quite some time now so yeah...here you go. Have some smutty AlxOC

P.S. If you happen to have read my Differences Made story, the OC will be very familiar to you ;D

Chapter 1 - Checked in

* * *

Twenty-two-year-old Catherine stared at the golden-haired man laughing a few meters away from her, the events from yesterday still hanging in her mind.

 _"It's over." Her soft voice spoke that she even barely heard herself. Her fingers danced around the hot cup of coffee between her palms, her red eyes refusing to look up._

 _Catherine could already feel Andrew's bewildered stare stabbing her head._

 _After a few more moments of silence, his voice finally cracked a "What?"_

 _Raising her fiery eyes, she leveled her head and popped her chin a little bit, one of her fingers tapping the hot mug as she restrained her hands from turning into fists._

 _The lying, two-timing, sadistic son of a bitch gave her a toothy grin and said, "You're kidding, right?"_

 _Catherine sighed. She forgot that he's quite delusional too. She had already given a lot of hints these past couple of months that she had already found out about Becky, his other girlfriend since the start of spring._

 _But all that just passed through him like a ghost. He is, in much kinder way of saying, dense. Catherine doesn't even know why she wasted two years of her life with a guy who could not even get one of her jokes._

 _Who could not even bother to learn anything about her work. Her hobbies. Her passions._

 _"No, Andrew. I am not kidding. I'm breaking up with you. For good. I don't ever want to see you again. And by that-"_

 _Catherine stood and leaned on the table to level her cold stare on the sitting, baffled duck she once called 'honeybunch'._

 _Why'd she even agreed to call him that?_

 _"I mean do not ever dare show your face in my shop again just to pick up girls. Do it on your own dirty alley." She spat at him. A few seconds later, everything finally seeped in to his racked brain and he frowned and glared at Catherine._

 _"You're breaking up without even having sex with me yet? You're really fucking boring to begin with" His tone was so venomous that Catherine had almost mistaken his shower of saliva as sticky violet poison._

 _"I don't sleep with pigs who likes to torture their sex partners to get hard." It was a low blow, but she wanted to say that in the whole time she had been with him._

 _She gets the idea of bondage, but strangling your partner while in foreplay?_

 _Catherine was grateful she didn't let him go pass third base._

 _Her last comment brought an outraged expression out of Andrew's face that he slammed a hand on the table in front of them before standing at least a foot taller than her. Why do she always fall like a stupid little high school girl for tall, dumb guys, anyway? Winry was right, her taste in men are the worst of the worsts._

 _"Well, I don't want to sleep with a prude nun anyway." He sneered and gave Catherine's sweatshirt and loose pants a once-over before making a puking sound._

 _Turning red, Catherine grabbed her steaming hot coffee and splash it all over her ex-boyfriend's crotch._

 _She was already halfway to the exit when Andrew's screams of pure agony alerted the cafe's staff members._

Her brows furrowed and she was almost unaware that she was glaring at air.

At Alphonse, who has a curious expression on his face.

"Yo, what's up with you today?" She backed away from his sudden voice as it was so close her face.

She stared blankly at him as she tried to decipher an answer for that.

She didn't tell him about her breakup this time.

Because this time, she was a hundred percent sure that he was a big part of her reason.

Yes, it wasn't just because of Andrew's disgusting kinks and bird brain, he was definitely one of the main reasons why she broke up.

Why?

Five years of friendship, she still couldn't get Alphonse Elric out of her system. Out of her goddamned heart.

She knew herself that he didn't see her that way. Damn, he even has his own girlfriend whom he had been with for two years now. She was already lucky that he still kept seeing and hanging out with her despite that.

 _Sigh._

Even her girlfriend doesn't see her as a threat.

Maybe she _was_ a boring, prude nun.

Shaking her head, Catherine cleared those thoughts away and gazed her red determined eyes at Al's green inquiring ones. As always, he just looked at her the way one would look at a small child, half-curious and half-amused. The slight smirk gracing his handsome face told her all.

This is the day she will try to make her move and change that.

"Can you stay with me at Fraser hotel this Friday?" She said without stuttering, full confidence in her voice, just like how she practiced.

Alphonse raised a brow and blinked at her, his handsome face forming some small wrinkles around them as he tried to analyze her question.

Catherine smirked at him despite her thrumming heartbeat. "It's just a yes or a no." Mask it with feigned confidence, it always worked with Alphonse, but very hard to pull off.

Al shrugged. "Of course I'll go but..what's the occasion? And who else are coming? Rose and the others?"

Catherine sweated a little as she told him the next part of her lie. "Ah no, but my mom and sister are coming over too to hang out." _Actually it's just the two of us._

That made Al look at her more suspiciously and eyed her carefully. _Don't crumble now, Ederson!_

It took everything for Catherine to not take a step back and just tell him the truth.

"Family members...so it's not a company or friends-only event. Why do you have reservation on that hotel, then?" He asked and Catherine prayed to all the gods that he didn't hear her huge gulp.

 _"_ I...uh..." She was beginning to hang on the edge of her lie now. Goddammit, why didn't she plan this part?!

 _Just say something! Any excuse will do!_

"I won it from a raffle entry at the supermarket last week!" Catherine shouted proudly with a huge smile on her face. _Actually, that reservation took almost half of my monthly income._

Alphonse was surprised to see her smile that much. In all the time he had been with her, she rarely smiled.

Something was definitely up.

Brushing it off for now, Alphonse gave her a pat in the head and grinned. "Alright then, Cath. See you this Friday!"

With that and a last ruffle on her already unruly hair, Alphonse waved off to stalk to where their other friends are, leaving a shocked Catherine who apparently turned into a statue.

 _He's going...he's really going!_

ooooooooo

Smoothing down her trusty comfortable sweatpants, Catherine placed her hands on her hips and grinned proudly at the tablet in front of her.

"So, how do I look?" She asked, proud that she was wearing a sleeveless top for this, but Winry's disgruntled look from her iPad's screen completely told the opposite.

Sighing in exhaustion, her blonde friend pierced a glare from across the Skype app. "Where's the pair of shorts that goes with that top?"

Catherine began to sweat and fidget. "I left it at home. I don't feel comfortable wearing it." She looked everywhere but the intimidating dash of the iPad.

She expected for her friend to scream in frustration, but all she heard again was a sigh and some scuffling sounds from the other side.

She dared a peek and there Catherine saw her best friend Winry on her phone, scrolling a viscous thumb on her contact list most probably.

"What're you doing?" Catherine inquisition halted her begrudging friend from her ministrations to glare lividly at her.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to cancel your reservation on that room right now." With that, Winry's phone began to ring with the loud speakers on so Catherine can helpless hear that she was not kidding.

"What?! Why? No!" The redheaded girl panicked and grabbed the iPad to put it closer to her pale face.

"This clearly won't work for you so I'm saving you the pain of fucking humiliating yourself!" She hollered as the phone continued to ring without any answer. "Why are the front desk people there not answering the damned phone?!"

"Stop this, Winry Rockbell!" She grounded a finger on the camera's view to emphasize her point.

"With that night attire? What are planning to do?! Play scrabble with him?!" Winry screamed and almost turned the darkest shade of purple anger when her friend blushed from the either side.

"Alphonse and I enjoy scrabble and Mono-"

"Is this sex night or board games night? Remind me because I don't fucking remember anymore."

Catherine lowered her iPad on the bed and crawled on the covers, sitting in front of it as she looked away with angry and stubborn eyes.

"S-se"

"Look me in the eyes and say it! What did you reserve a $540/night room for?!" Her best friend's booming voice was like cold water splashed on her face and have woken her from her stupid slumber of being a shy little girl.

This was the night when she claims Alphonse for her own, as a woman.

"SEX! I'M GOING TO HAVE SEX WITH ALPHONSE ELRIC TONIGHT! NO MATTER WHAT THE COST!" Catherine screamed at the top of her lungs that she almost ran out of air needed to not pass out.

Winry was grinning from the other side, her phone out of sight and not ringing anymore.

"You're having sex tonight!" Winry commanded like a general, and Catherine was her private as she sat straight and her red fiery eyes unwavering.

"I'm having sex tonight!" She repeated with passion.

"By tomorrow, you're not a virgin anymore and would've probably done it ten times with Alphonse Elric!"

"By tomorrow, I'm not virgin anymore and would have done it- wait what?" Cutting herself off, Catherine gawked absentmindedly at her best friend who was once again glaring at her. Ten times? Is that even possible?

She paled and reconsidered her plans about this.

"JUST SAY IT!" Flinching from the reprimand, the twenty-two-year-old virgin gulped and took her biggest intake of air.

"TOMORROW,I WILL NOT BE A VIRGIN ANYMORE AND WILL SURELY HAVE DONE IT MORE OR LESS TEN TIMES WITH ALPHONSE ELRIC!" She shouted in a booming voice that would send over oceans. There was no doubt that the other rooms have heard her despite the thick walls.

Winry just nodded in satisfaction. "That's the stuff! Now change to shorts and burn those sweatpants!"

Catherine frowned defiantly and hugged her legs in an action to protect the said sweatpants. "Don't get carried away, I won't burn these sweatpants."

"Just change into the shorts already!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tugging her short silky shorts that only went until her upper thighs, Catherine grunted in discomfort.

The cloth itself was nice against the skin, but the amount of skin exposed is what's making her squeamish.

 _What are you thinking, Catherine? You'll be wearing less than this once you're doing it with Alphonse!_

She needed to relax. Maybe she's just panicking because this is her first time.

Another hour have passed before the doorbell rang and Catherine, in her readied sleeping attire, jumped from the bed and ran passed all the doors and chairs and furniture before she finally reached the front door.

 _Here goes._

Taking a deep breath, Catherine placed her hand on the polished doorknob and twisted.

She was about to burst out the most cutesy remark that she had come up with during this whole week of preparation, but bit it back when she saw a glimpse of blond hair beside Alphonse's wide physique.

If she looked harder, she would notice that the figure was actually latched in Al's bulky arm, with him gazing down fondly at her.

Like it had always been.

She was silly for not even considering _the_ girlfriend. Of course Alphonse would bring her here.

"Cath!" Alphonse's glittering hazel eyes and toothy grin almost made Catherine weak on the knees. But she remained composed as she got reminded of another presence in this supposed to be intimate night.

"Cathy! Long time no see! Cute outfit!" The said blonde girlfriend, who was a good few inches taller than her, stepped inside and greeted her warmly.

"Hey Miranda." She greeted back and forced a smile. But how could she not? Miranda was a really nice person, and despite Catherine's elusiveness, she always expressed genuine desire to be close to her.

If it wasn't for Alphonse, she could have allowed herself to be friends with her, but alas, feelings of jealousy came first than her desire to be friends with her.

Winry argued and told her that Miranda was actually a lecherous, pretentious, and scheming bitch, but she was her best friend so she was probably just making her feel better about the whole Alphonse situation.

Yes, Catherine had declared Alphonse Elric as a situation, a situation that she had yet to resolve after five years. Tonight is the night that ends.

It was only between be with him or not see him at all anymore. Mere friendship was out of the question, that she already knew.

Along these thoughts, the two blonds headed inside, and Catherine guided them to the grandiose living room of purple lush throw pillows and a huge TV screen.

Alphonse whistled and Miranda oohed in awe.

Ok, even for sex night, she _may_ have gone a little overboard with this.

"I'll go get the food." Alphonse heard Catherine say before she prodded towards the huge kitchen area. With her tiny figure walking around barefoot in this enormous room, made it look all the more humongous. He chuckled at that thought as he went back to checking out the polished coffee table.

"Adorable, isn't she?" He almost rolled his eyes at his girlfriend's "kind" remark. He prayed to all the gods out there that she won't open her mouth again until Catherine arrived from the kitchen, but alas, the woman always had to speak her mind.

"Come sit here, babe. It's as comfy as it looks." He heard his girlfriend invite him with a soft pat on the space beside her. His expression quickly turned dim as his emerald eyes gained a stern look.

"I told you to not come with me." He muttered, hoping that Catherine was not hearing this.

Miranda frowned with begging eyes. "But you're angry. I can't just leave you when you're angry."

"I'm not angry, Miranda. I'm just...tired." He _was_ tired of everything - his family, his brother, most especially _her_. Doesn't she realize that he could see through everything?

Catherine's invitation was the greatest news he had heard this whole month. It was like she had given him a scapegoat for everything, even if it was just for one night. Or barely a night. Nonetheless, it was better than good enough. He almost couldn't contain his excitement for it when she told her about it smugly like it was nothing to her.

He let out a mental laugh. She has a boyfriend, of course he better not be too close to her. And him too...

Alphonse sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Just...go home, Miranda. We'll talk tomorrow." That was a lie. He didn't want to talk to her again, ever, if possible. It took him days to contain his seething anger for after what he saw in her unlocked phone.

"But Al-"

"I _said_ we'll talk tomorrow. This is Catherine's sleepover party and I don't want to ruin it." He cut her off with a heavy voice and his glare told her the rest.

Glaring back, Miranda stood indignantly from the plush sofa and threw a look over the opened kitchen door, where they both can see Catherine's busy figure walking around in her pink sleeping attire like a twelve-year-old, cheeks flushed with excitement. She let out a snort, and as always, thought of the redheaded girl not more than a little sister that Alphonse wanted to take care of.

He'll be back in her arms the next day, as it always had been.

"Alright, honey. I'll see tomorrow." She said sweetly and pecked him on the cheek and left for the door. Alphonse stood like a statue in front of the golden coffee table until he heard the door clicked close.

He let out a huge sigh of relief that he wasn't aware he was holding and once again ran both hands over his blond hair.

"Hey." He almost jumped out in surprise when Catherine suddenly popped in front of him, a plate of chips on one hand and three cans of Mug root beer on her other arm.

She raised a casual brow at him and looked around the living room for Miranda as she placed the snacks in the coffee table. "Where's Miranda?"

Alphonse scratched the back of his neck and plopped down the sofa (she was right, it was comfortable as hell).

"She was called for work. She said she was sorry that she couldn't join us." The Elric lied through his teeth as leaned his sore back on the cushion, flinging one arm on the backrest comfortably.

"Ah, this is the stuff." Catherine didn't know what to contain first - her inner celebration for getting rid of the girlfriend, or that indescribable heat she felt inside her when Alphonse moaned so close to her.

Gulping all of that down, she hesitantly sat beside him, deliberately placing herself inside Al's plopped arm, as if to feel that he was putting them around her back, like how he does to Miranda during event gatherings. She had always thought that Miranda and Al fitted each other perfectly. They were both very smart, successful in life, rich and beautiful creatures of the planet Earth. They were a match made in heaven, as others would put it.

Which made her wonder, how did she look beside him? She was average looking, _short,_ small, and just pale in comparison to Miranda in every human way possible. How did Alphonse actually see her?

This night, she promised herself that she will find out.

"Hey Cath." Upon hearing her special nickname that only Alphonse uses, since everybody else uses Cat or Cathy or Cat-Cat, she snapped from her reverie and turned to look at him.

Before she could say anything, she felt something warm pressed against her forehead, right between her eyebrows, and Alphonse's face smiling playfully down at her.

"You're scrunching your brows again." He said with a grin as he rubbed his index finger to smooth the crease on her temples.

Catherine pushed his hand away with a slight blush on her face. "Shut up." She grabbed a chip and munched on it to end the conversation.

Alphonse chuckled and took a chip of his own, munching loudly. "So, what's the occasion again?" He asked in between chews.

He saw her shrug her bare, tiny shoulders, looking straight up at him with those crimson eyes that he had always felt, could see everything inside him. "Nothing much, just a night out for people who are tired of dealing with everyday shit." She laughed lightly and took another chip to her mouth.

A breath of surprise that he wasn't able to stifle came out of his mouth that Catherine shot him a look. She probably does able to see through him, maybe? Or was she just genuinely indigenous to making him feel better, like always.

Giggling to himself, Alphonse shook his head and leaned back on the cushion, keeping his outstretched arm on Catherine's backrest.

"Have something finally made you go crazy?" She asked in a serious tone but he knew, she was trying to joke with him. Alphonse laughed heartily then gazed at her with fond emerald eyes.

"Nothing it's just that...you always had a knack for saying the best things...sometimes."

Catherine raised a brow. "Sometimes."

"Yes, Cath, sometimes." He saw her roll her eyes as she opened her own can of Mug.

"By the way, where's Andrew?" Alphonse asked and slowly began to remove his arm from the backrest. But before he could, Catherine leaned her head back and trapped it in place, red eyes staring up at him. He gulped and looked down at her form - her wavy red hair formed a small pool on his arm, leaving her neck and chest bare and caught some light from the bulb above them. She was hugging her legs to her, making her silk short shorts ride up her thighs even higher, giving him a glimpse of-

For the first time in five years, Alphonse felt his lips dry, because he forgot to lick them wet like a normal person. And he was starting to sweat profusely despite the air conditioning.

Catherine sighed and nuzzled his arm, knowing that this may be the only part of him that she will be able to touch tonight, if she was being realistic. Little did she know that said arm's owner was trying his best to hold back any urges to touch her.

"I broke up with him. He was a disgusting jerk to begin with." Alphonse wanted to feel bad for her, to say that he was sorry, but this news actually made him feel glad. Because for reasons he couldn't decipher still, the thought of other men seeing her in this state - small, vulnerable, and bared for anyone to touch with that sinful silk attire - enraged him.

"I'm glad you found out before anything did happen." It was the truth, and he saw that Catherine was happy to hear it from him.

"Thanks." She said, and continued to nuzzle her face in his arm like a pillow.

He needed to pull away. With this combined with the thought that she already broke up with Andrew, his imagination is spurring out of control. But-

Something clicked inside his head that he managed to push such lustrous thoughts away. "Who else did you invite?"

She shot him a quizzical look. "Just my sis and mom." She sighed.

"And some friends." She added for good measure, so he wouldn't be too suspicious for the time being.

To her surprise though, Al snapped an alarmed look at her. "Friends? Are there going to be guys?" He quickly asked and it confused Catherine.

What?

"Um, does it matter? We do have guy friends so probably-"

"You can't have them here and be dressed like that!" He continued with panic in his voice, with Catherine still keeping his arm entrapped with her head.

"What's wrong with how I'm dressed? Are they going to make fun of me?" She asked worriedly and Alphonse wanted to slap himself from the absurdity of it all. She's really oblivious, isn't she? How old is she, fifteen?

"You're a grown woman, Catherine Ederson. They may...you know-" He cut himself with that, gesturing with his free with his features contorting to bewilderment as she waited for him to just say it out loud.

He sighed. "They're going to take advantage of you, Cath. They're guys. Any guy who would see you like this will have such thoughts." THERE he said it. Goddammit, sometimes this girl is so insufferable he just wanted to cry.

Despite the transparency of his statement, the redheaded girl still looked up at him with more questions. "I don't have sex appeal. I've been told that a hundred times." She confessed with a straight face. Even Andrew said so. Hell, he probably even developed such disgusting kinks just to get it on with her.

"What?! Of course you have sex appeal!" He shouted before he realized what he just said. Catherine was blushing profusely with her small face touching still his arm and that simple thought and feeling almost made him lose control.

Almost to his dismay, she lifted her head off his arm, and made a fake laugh. "Come on, even you know that's too cruel to be a joke." She said almost bitterly, tears forming in her eyes. Was she really this pathetic that he had to say those kinds of things to her just to make her feel better? She shouldn't have told him about Andrew. She ruined everything for her.

"I'm not joking." Alphonse said darkly, the arm that was pillowing her head earlier now back to his side, making an angry fist.

Catherine chuckled and took the empty plate of chips. "Yeah sure, keep joking about it by not joking about it. Very funny. Haha." She tried to make it light, really. She stood up before the tears could fall, using the empty plate as an excuse.

"I'll go get our chips and Scrabble so I can kick your ass with a double word score." She announced, trying her best to hide her face from his view. But before she could stand up, she was grabbed by the waist and in mere seconds had her back pressed against Alphonse's hard chest, the empty plate dropped to the carpeted floor by their feet, forgotten. He was breathing quite heavily, as if he was holding something in.

It was tickling the top of her head instead of her nape as she wished to be. She cursed their more-than-a-foot height difference again.

"Al?" She inquired in a confused voice. What was happening? Was he...trying to comfort her?

He was quiet and still, only his chest was moving as he heave for air. She could feel everything from her thin layer of silk - his warmth, the curves of his muscles, and his gentle grip over her waist.

"It's alright, I'm not upset. No need to comfort me." She said, as that was the only logical explanation for this. He had never been this...touchy before. Maybe she went a little too far on opening the lid of her emotions that supposed to be trickled out only little by little.

"I'm not trying to comfort you." He answered in gritted teeth, then his hand slowly moved, palming her belly. His thumb moved in small circles, slowly as if trying not to tickle her.

"Then what are you doing?" To her, it was the most apologizing act he had ever done, next to that gummy bear suit.

"Trying to control myself." He murmured then she heard him move in his seat, positioning himself until his face was so very near her neck that she could feel his breath tickling her skin there, just as she had hoped for earlier. Catherine gasped, all the more confused and disbelieving as to what was transpiring. She tried to squirm out, but his large hand over her stomach kept her in place, and pressed her even tighter against him.

"But it seems like I'm failing miserably." He said breathlessly, laughing to himself. He had always held himself back with Catherine, did he? From the very moment he met her, she had enamored him with her delicate and abrasive sides, and that fiery glow about her that shined through him, almost blinding him to even see others.

Miranda...Miranda was just for her to not worry about him, so she could find the perfect man for her. Over the years he had watched her come and go with different kinds of men, and over the years of her breakups, he had always managed to control himself and not step out of line with her. Over the years he had held back his relief and happiness every time she told him that she was still a maiden for her boyfriend was not a gentle knight after all, over and over, again and again. He was afraid to lose her, so he didn't even dare take the risk to confess his real feelings even once.

In short, Alphonse Elric was coward.

"This time, I really have no clue what you're talking about." Catherine denied the feelings and thoughts that are spilling out of her now. There was no way that Al sees her that way. He had made it clear this whole time. This is the night wherein she will make him have those feelings, but with his embrace right now, it seemed like-

"You really are so irresistibly clueless sometimes, aren't you?" Alphonse chuckled in her neck and buried his nose in her exposed skin, his hand that holds her waist traveled to her side, slightly outlining her gentle curves with his rough hands.

"Alphonse." She breathed out, and her arms created goosebumps of pleasure that he was so tempted to run his hands through.

"You smell so good." He half-growled and half-moaned, her grip on her waist tightening as he tried to hold whatever ounce of control he had left.

She couldn't help but gasp on surprise. Was she hearing right? She _smelled good_ to Alphonse? Was she-

 _Am I actually seducing him?_

It was such an impossible task to begin with but now...it's really happening?

She squinted her eyes, seeing an opportunity open up. It may be because he's confused about his fight with Miranda, he did look like he was stressed out by something.

This may be dirty and petty of her, but she had to hold on to any chance she got. This may be her only shot. Licking her lips, Catherine exhaled softly, taking in the feeling of his nose pressed against her neck, his lips blowing lightly upon her skin.

Raising a hand, she reached over behind her head to hook her unruly red hair to one shoulder, exposing more of her bare shoulder for Alphonse.

"Then why don't you smell more of me, to make sure you're not smelling wrong?" She couldn't believe her words, but those were the ones that came right out of her mouth at that moment. It was silly, and she half expected for Alphonse to laugh at her, but he answered with a pleasured sigh, followed by a very low, guttural groan.

"That's it." He suddenly declared before his hand slipped under silk top, his hand caressing the sensitive skin of her stomach.

"Ahh.." A moan escaped her lips from surprise, and continued to a high squeaked one when his lips suddenly touched her nape. Gusts of pleasure from his skin against her skin rushed through that she thought she wouldn't be able to handle.

It was happening.

It was really happening-

 _Ring._

The two interlocked bodies froze in motion, their eyes wide as if they were snapped back to reality.

It was the phone in Alphonse's pocket, playing the default iPhone ringtone. It sounded like nails scratching against a chalkboard to Catherine.

Painful and irritating.

Slowly and hesitantly, one of Alphonse's hands moved to answer the phone.

"Hello?" He answered, his face moving away from her skin.

 _No. Please stay._ Catherine begged to herself, for she couldn't bring to say it. She has no right. He was not hers.

"What?! Where is she right now? Is she with you?"

This was just...a misunderstanding. Alphonse only needed some comfort and as a friend, she gave him that.

It gave a fleeting hope that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way.

Alphonse completely moved away as he continued to talk in the phone in a worried tone, leaving Catherine raw from his touch.

"I'll be right there in 15. Just...just handle it for now." With that, Alphonse hung up and exhaled tiredly.

Catherine knew what it was.

Or who that was.

"Cath, I-"

"I understand. Just go." She tried not to snap at him, to be the good, understanding friend. But her cracking voice betrayed her and she could feel Alphonse's remorseful gaze. His pity.

 _You're so pathetic, Catherine._

"Just go!" She screamed without looking at him, remaining in her position wherein her back was on him, her hair still parted to the side to expose him her neck. Her whole being all for the taking.

But what an idiot she was, of course he didn't want any of it.

Alphonse could almost feel the agony of just leaving her there, because his whole being wanted to touch her all night and be with her, to finally _be with her._

But Miranda...

 _That bitch._

"I'm sorry." It was all he could say. What else could he say? With that, he stood up and went for the door, closing it without another word.

Soundlessly, tears began to fall Catherine's eyes.


End file.
